The Privacy Policy That Ate The Democrats

I read an incredibly interesting article today about what happens to e-mail lists after the balloons drop and the campaign is over. Specifically, it is about how the Kerry campaign, once again, screwed us.

Apparently, while the Bush campaign has transferred their email list of 1.4 million names to the Republican National Committee, Kerry's list of 2.75 million loyal Democrats remains Kerry's property. Why would Kerry not transfer this list to the DNC and help build his Party?

But thanks to the wording of Kerry's online privacy policy during the primary, which promised to bar the forwarding of supporters' e-mail addresses to anyone outside the campaign, this list is now the proprietary possession of the junior Massachusetts senator.

This has serious repercussions for the Democrats. Whether by accident or by design, the most valuable email list ever compiled by Democrats is now being controlled by one solitary Senator with his eye on '08 (In your dreams, John!). As the Internet becomes a more and more powerful campaign tool, this type of short-sighted leadership will keep us in the minority.